Frequently Asked Questions

Section 1. Services

Question: Why should I work with Dollar Mountain Bookkeeping?

Answer: When you work with me, you’re doing more than hiring a bookkeeper. You’re gaining a business partner. My clients receive excellent service, prompt and consistent communication, and a dedicated business partner to help their businesses flourish. I learn my client’s goals for their businesses and help them achieve those goals.

Question: Which financial reports can you provide?

Answer: Clients receive a Balance Sheet and a Profit & Loss every month. Clients may receive a variety of other monthly reports upon request, including but not limited to Accounts Receivable/Payable Aging Details, Statement of Cash Flows, and comparative reports.

Question: Why do I need accurate financial reports?

Answer: Accurate monthly financial reports will help you steer your business toward your goals. They will give you a clear picture of how much money you are spending and where, your debt, your receivables, and your income. These reports will be your guide in setting budgets and sticking to them, determining whether or not you should make big financial decisions such as opening a new location or hiring employees, finding which sources of revenue are giving you the greatest (or smallest) profit, and so much more.

Question: Why do I need monthly bookkeeping?

Answer: Most business owners don’t start their business because they want to spend hours of their time entering bills, categorizing transactions, reconciling accounts and loans, ensuring accurate reports, figuring out which projects are profitable, or managing inventory. Nor should they! Time is one thing you can’t buy back. I’ll take care of the numbers and provide the reports that will guide you toward your business goals while you spend your time making more sales and doing what you do best.

Question: How often do you communicate/meet with your clients?

Answer: It shouldn’t be hard to get ahold of your bookkeeper. I communicate with each of my clients regularly via phone call, email, or text. Clients can expect a reply the same or next business day. In addition, each of my monthly bookkeeping clients has the option to receive one free Zoom meeting per month to discuss their financials and any major changes in their business. Clients in the Salt Lake Valley who are located east of Bangerter Highway may opt for a free in-person meeting at their office instead.

Question: What is the difference between a books cleanup and a books catchup?

Answer: A bookkeeping cleanup involves taking incorrect financial data and making it right. If we take a QuickBooks Online account that has miscategorized bank transactions, duplicate expenses, missing assets, and unreconciled loans from the past year and fix all of the mistakes, that is a cleanup.

On the other hand, a bookkeeping catchup starts from scratch. If we set up a fresh, never-before-used QuickBooks Online account and add last year’s data to it, that is a catchup.

Question: How long does a cleanup or catchup take?

Answer: A typical 12-month cleanup or catchup may take 4-6 weeks to complete, as long as I receive all required documentation in a timely manner.

Question: Do you work with software other than QuickBooks Online?

Answer: In addition to QuickBooks Online, I have also helped smaller clients with Wave accounting software. I do not use Wave for larger, more complex clients. Other accounting software will be considered upon request. We can discuss which software is right for your company in a free consultation.

Section 2. Pricing

Question: What do you charge for monthly bookkeeping?

Answer: Monthly bookkeeping starts at $250 per month. This price can change depending on how many accounts and monthly transactions are involved, and if other services such as payroll, accounts payable, project tracking, and inventory are necessary.

Question: What do you charge for setting up a QuickBooks Online account or a Wave account?

Answer: QuickBooks or Wave setup is free when it is included in a monthly engagement or a cleanup/catchup engagement. When the QuickBooks or Wave setup is stand-alone, the fee ranges from $100 to $500, depending on complexity.

Question: What do you charge for a bookkeeping cleanup or catchup?

Answer: This depends on the length and complexity of the cleanup or catchup (both are priced the same way), and whether monthly bookkeeping services will follow. Cleanups paired with a monthly bookkeeping engagement may be eligible for up to a 50% discount. Many 12-month cleanups fall between $1,200 and $2,800 when monthly bookkeeping is included, and I offer flexible, interest-free payment options.